Major George W. Schofield of the 10th Cavalry and an army ordinance officer designed this revolver as an improvement over Smith & Wesson's Model No. 3 "American" model. The Model No. 3 Schofield was produced by S&W from 1875-1877 the U.S. Army ordered nearly 8000 in the proprietary .45 Schofield cartridge and many saw service by the 4th Cavalry in the Geronimo campaign and by the buffalo soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. Schofields were also put to work by the notorious James-Younger gang U.S. Marshal Bill Tilghman and Custer's chief of scouts "Lonesome Charley" Reynolds. Another roughly 1000 guns were sold on the civilian market. Favored by many horse soldiers for its top-break rapid ejection system many considered it superior to the 1873 Colt Single Action for mounted work. In the 1880s New York gun dealer Schuyler Hartley Graham bought surplus Schofields cut the barrels from 7 to 5 inches and sold many of them to Wells Fargo & Company. Cimarron offers the Model No. 3 Schofield in 3 1/2 inches in .45 Colt 5 inches in .38 Special or .45 Colt or the cavalry length 7-inch barrel in .38 Special .44-40 or .45 Colt. (.45 Colt chambered Cimarron Schofields also handle the .45 Schofield cartridge). Whether you are into the real Old West or the "reel" West like the Schofield Kid from Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven or gunman Charlie Prince from Russell Crowe's 3:10 To Yuma you'll enjoy owning a Cimarron Schofield!